


Deserted

by Nazorin76



Category: Zero Escape (Video Games)
Genre: 999: Nine Hours Nine Persons Nine Doors, 999: Nine Hours Nine Persons Nine Doors Spoilers, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bittersweet, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Post-999: Nine Hours Nine Persons Nine Doors, Post-True Route, Spoilers, Tags Contain Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 12:36:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21338353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nazorin76/pseuds/Nazorin76
Summary: Immediately Post-true end of 999,Aoi and Akane make their way back to civilization from the desert complex.  They share a moment of respite at the end of everything.
Relationships: Kurashiki Akane & Kurashiki Aoi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Deserted

The SUV flies over the endless desert, nothing but sand in every direction. No trees, no animals, no plants. It appears completely lifeless but for the single tiny, insignificant man-made vehicle.

The sun already beats down on the golden expanse, even this early in the morning. It blazes through the open windows onto the two pale occupants. The bright glare highlights their gaunt faces, their solemn expressions. 

They sit in silence, no radio, no signal anyway; only the steady roar of the engine, the shifting sands beneath the racing terrain wheels, and wind whipping around their clothes and hair.

The driver and passenger are comfortable in the white noise. They don’t need to speak to understand each other. Aoi and Akane are close siblings, not that anyone could tell by looking at them. Their bond is especially strong given their highly specific childhood trauma, shared only by a few kids in the whole world. 

But that’s all over now. Finally. After nine years of thorough preparation, meticulous planning, practice, and hoping. It’s over. And they’re free. Just the two of them against the world. The only good ending they could see, the best ending they could have.

Aoi is driving one handed. Cool and aloof as always even under the burning sun, as though they hadn’t just concluded a decade of horror that had commanded almost half of their lifetimes until now. 

He gazes steadily straight ahead through the windshield, not that there was much to watch the nonexistent road for. His silver hair flutters in the rushing wind, held out of his face by his headbands. His free arm rests on the driver’s windowsill; black arm warmer heated by the sun. His loose-fitting ensemble dances in the bluster, white tank-top and black scarves lifting off his deceptively thin muscular frame.

Akane sits in the passenger seat, hands resting one on the other in her lap over the skirt of her billowing sweater-dress, staring out the window toward the hazy, distant horizon. Her long, soft brown hair is twisted loosely into a rope over her shoulder to keep it from tangling in the wind. Her limpid blue doe-eyes reflect the bright sky and beige landscape that they aren’t really seeing. 

Although she puts on a brave face, Aoi can tell how deeply his little sister’s heart is broken.

Akane too has learned how to see through her big brother’s indifferent act and knows he’s still hurting too.

They themselves look like they could blow away at any time.

Akane sighs almost imperceptibly.

Aoi glances over at her from the corner of his cat-eye.

He shifts and switches driving arms, his right hand free.

He holds his hand over to the passenger side, palm up and open.

Akane looks down at it, then glances up at him.

His expression stoic, eyes forward. 

But she perceives how he has softened.

She smiles. Tears prick at her eyes.

She places her hand in his.

He squeezes gently, and the corner of his mouth twitches into a melancholy smile.

She bites her trembling lip and turns back out the window. Her shoulders shake slightly.

He shakes too.

Her hair falls in front of her face to block it from view as she blinks rapidly. Falling droplets dampen her dress. She shakes harder.

Aoi looks at the ceiling, blinking quickly and drawing an unsteady breath. His hand clenches the wheel until his knuckles turn white.

Akane squeezes his hand back and allows herself to cry, for the first time in a long time. She wipes at her eyes with her sleeve as sobs wrack her petite body. 

Aoi rubs his cheeks on his shoulders, his shirt collecting sand and salt in fresh wet spots.

Akane wails and screams until her throat is raw and her voice is gone.

No one is around to hear but the two of them.

As it has been for a long time.

As it has been for most of their lives.

As it might be for the rest of their lives.

The empty desert distends before them.

The past shadows behind them.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading~ <3
> 
> Please feel free to leave kudos, bookmark and subscribe, and leave a comment telling me what your favourite part/line was!


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